’Iamquitealone，’Arthurexplainedastheywalkedon。’Mypartnerisaway，busilyengagedatadistanceonhisbranchofourbusiness，andyoushalldojustasyoulike。’
　　’Thankyou。Youdidn’ttakeparticularnoticeoflittleAltrojustnow；didyou？’saidPancks。
　　’No。Why？’
　　’He’sabrightfellow，andIlikehim，’saidPancks。’Somethinghasgoneamisswithhimto-day。Haveyouanyideaofanycausethatcanhaveoversethim？’
　　’Yousurpriseme!Nonewhatever。’
　　MrPancksgavehisreasonsfortheinquiry。Arthurwasquiteunpreparedforthem，andquiteunabletosuggestanexplanationofthem。
　　’Perhapsyou’llaskhim，’saidPancks，’ashe’sastranger？’
　　’Askhimwhat？’returnedClennam。
　　’Whathehasonhismind。’
　　’Ioughtfirsttoseeformyselfthathehassomethingonhismind，Ithink，’saidClennam。’Ihavefoundhimineverywaysodiligent，sogratefulforlittleenough，andsotrustworthy，thatitmightlooklikesuspectinghim。Andthatwouldbeveryunjust。’
　　’True，’saidPancks。’But，Isay!Yououghtn’ttobeanybody’sproprietor，MrClennam。You’remuchtoodelicate。’
　　’Forthematterofthat，’returnedClennamlaughing，’IhavenotalargeproprietaryshareinCavalletto。Hiscarvingishislivelihood。HekeepsthekeysoftheFactory，watchesiteveryalternatenight，andactsasasortofhousekeepertoitgenerally；
　　butwehavelittleworkinthewayofhisingenuity，thoughwegivehimwhatwehave。No!Iamratherhisadviserthanhisproprietor。Tocallmehisstandingcounselandhisbankerwouldbenearerthefact。Speakingofbeinghisbanker，isitnotcurious，Pancks，thattheventureswhichrunjustnowinsomanypeople’sheads，shouldruneveninlittleCavalletto’s？’
　　’Ventures？’retortedPancks，withasnort。’Whatventures？’
　　’TheseMerdleenterprises。’
　　’Oh!Investments，’saidPancks。’Ay，ay!Ididn’tknowyouwerespeakingofinvestments。’
　　HisquickwayofreplyingcausedClennamtolookathim，withadoubtwhetherhemeantmorethanhesaid。Asitwasaccompanied，however，withaquickeningofhispaceandacorrespondingincreaseinthelabouringofhismachinery，Arthurdidnotpursuethematter，andtheysoonarrivedathishouse。
　　Adinnerofsoupandapigeon-pie，servedonalittleroundtablebeforethefire，andflavouredwithabottleofgoodwine，oiledMrPancks’sworksinahighlyeffectivemanner；sothatwhenClennamproducedhisEasternpipe，andhandedMrPancksanotherEasternpipe，thelattergentlemanwasperfectlycomfortable。
　　Theypuffedforawhileinsilence，MrPanckslikeasteam-vesselwithwind，tide，calmwater，andallothersea-goingconditionsinherfavour。Hewasthefirsttospeak，andhespokethus：
　　’Yes。Investmentsistheword。’
　　Clennam，withhisformerlook，said’Ah!’
　　’Iamgoingbacktoit，yousee，’saidPancks。
　　’Yes。Iseeyouaregoingbacktoit，’returnedClennam，wonderingwhy。
　　’Wasn’titacuriousthingthattheyshouldruninlittleAltro’shead？Eh？’saidPancksashesmoked。’Wasn’tthathowyouputit？’
　　’ThatwaswhatIsaid。’
　　’Ay!ButthinkofthewholeYardhavinggotit。Thinkoftheirallmeetingmewithit，onmycollectingdays，hereandthereandeverywhere。Whethertheypay，orwhethertheydon’tpay。Merdle，Merdle，Merdle。AlwaysMerdle。’
　　’Verystrangehowtheserunsonaninfatuationprevail，’saidArthur。
　　’An’tit？’returnedPancks。Aftersmokingforaminuteorso，moredrilythancomportedwithhisrecentoiling，headded：’Becauseyouseethesepeopledon’tunderstandthesubject。’
　　’Notabit，’assentedClennam。
　　’Notabit，’criedPancks。’Knownothingoffigures。Knownothingofmoneyquestions。Nevermadeacalculation。Neverworkedit，sir!’
　　’Iftheyhad——’Clennamwasgoingontosay；whenMrPancks，withoutchangeofcountenance，producedasoundsofarsurpassingallhisusualefforts，nasalorbronchial，thathestopped。
　　’Iftheyhad？’repeatedPancksinaninquiringtone。
　　’Ithoughtyou——spoke，’saidArthur，hesitatingwhatnametogivetheinterruption。
　　’Notatall，’saidPancks。’Notyet。Imayinaminute。Iftheyhad？’
　　’Iftheyhad，’observedClennam，whowasalittleatalosshowtotakehisfriend，’why，Isupposetheywouldhaveknownbetter。’
　　’Howso，MrClennam？’Pancksaskedquickly，andwithanoddeffectofhavingbeenfromthecommencementoftheconversationloadedwiththeheavychargehenowfiredoff。’They’reright，youknow。
　　Theydon’tmeantobe，butthey’reright。’
　　’RightinsharingCavalletto’sinclinationtospeculatewithMrMerdle？’
　　’Per-fectly，sir，’saidPancks。’I’vegoneintoit。I’vemadethecalculations。I’veworkedit。They’resafeandgenuine。’
　　Relievedbyhavinggottothis，MrPanckstookaslongapullashislungswouldpermitathisEasternpipe，andlookedsagaciouslyandsteadilyatClennamwhileinhalingandexhalingtoo。
　　Inthosemoments，MrPancksbegantogiveoutthedangerousinfectionwithwhichhewasladen。Itisthemannerofcommunicatingthesediseases；itisthesubtlewayinwhichtheygoabout。
　　’Doyoumean，mygoodPancks，’askedClennamemphatically，’thatyouwouldputthatthousandpoundsofyours，letussay，forinstance，outatthiskindofinterest？’
　　’Certainly，’saidPancks。’Alreadydoneit，sir。’
　　MrPanckstookanotherlonginhalation，anotherlongexhalation，anotherlongsagaciouslookatClennam。
　　’Itellyou，MrClennam，I’vegoneintoit，’saidPancks。’He’samanofimmenseresources——enormouscapital——governmentinfluence。
　　They’rethebestschemesafloat。They’resafe。They’recertain。’
　　’Well!’returnedClennam，lookingfirstathimgravelyandthenatthefiregravely。’Yousurpriseme!’
　　’Bah!’Pancksretorted。’Don’tsaythat，sir。It’swhatyououghttodoyourself!Whydon’tyoudoasIdo？’
　　OfwhomMrPanckshadtakentheprevalentdisease，hecouldnomorehavetoldthanifhehadunconsciouslytakenafever。Bredatfirst，asmanyphysicaldiseasesare，inthewickednessofmen，andthendisseminatedintheirignorance，theseepidemics，afteraperiod，getcommunicatedtomanysuffererswhoareneitherignorantnorwicked。MrPancksmight，ormightnot，havecaughttheillnesshimselffromasubjectofthisclass；butinthiscategoryheappearedbeforeClennam，andtheinfectionhethrewoffwasallthemorevirulent。
　　’Andyouhavereallyinvested，’Clennamhadalreadypassedtothatword，’yourthousandpounds，Pancks？’
　　’Tobesure，sir!’repliedPancksboldly，withapuffofsmoke。
　　’Andonlywishitten!’
　　Now，Clennamhadtwosubjectslyingheavyonhislonelymindthatnight；theone，hispartner’slong-deferredhope；theother，whathehadseenandheardathismother’s。Inthereliefofhavingthiscompanion，andoffeelingthathecouldtrusthim，hepassedontoboth，andbothbroughthimroundagain，withanincreaseandaccelerationofforce，tohispointofdeparture。
　　Itcameaboutinthesimplestmanner。Quittingtheinvestmentsubject，afteranintervalofsilentlookingatthefirethroughthesmokeofhispipe，hetoldPanckshowandwhyhewasoccupiedwiththegreatNationalDepartment。’Ahardcaseithasbeen，andahardcaseitisonDoyce，’hefinishedbysaying，withallthehonestfeelingthetopicrousedinhim。
　　’Hardindeed，’Pancksacquiesced。’Butyoumanageforhim，MrClennam？’
　　’Howdoyoumean？’
　　’Managethemoneypartofthebusiness？’
　　’Yes。AswellasIcan。’
　　’Manageitbetter，sir，’saidPancks。’Recompensehimforhistoilsanddisappointments。Givehimthechancesofthetime。
　　He’llneverbenefithimselfinthatway，patientandpreoccupiedworkman。Helookstoyou，sir。’
　　’Idomybest，Pancks，’returnedClennam，uneasily。’AstodulyweighingandconsideringthesenewenterprisesofwhichIhavehadnoexperience，IdoubtifIamfitforit，Iamgrowingold。’
　　’Growingold？’criedPancks。’Ha，ha!’
　　Therewassomethingsoindubitablygenuineinthewonderfullaugh，andseriesofsnortsandpuffs，engenderedinMrPancks’sastonishmentat，andutterrejectionof，theidea，thathisbeingquiteinearnestcouldnotbequestioned。
　　’Growingold？’criedPancks。’Hear，hear，hear!Old？Hearhim，hearhim!’
　　ThepositiverefusalexpressedinMrPancks’scontinuedsnorts，nolessthanintheseexclamations，toentertainthesentimentforasingleinstant，droveArthurawayfromit。Indeed，hewasfearfulofsomethinghappeningtoMrPancksintheviolentconflictthattookplacebetweenthebreathhejerkedoutofhimselfandthesmokehejerkedintohimself。Thisabandonmentofthesecondtopicthrewhimonthethird。
　　’Young，old，ormiddle-aged，Pancks，’hesaid，whentherewasafavourablepause，’Iaminaveryanxiousanduncertainstate；astatethatevenleadsmetodoubtwhetheranythingnowseemingtobelongtome，maybereallymine。ShallItellyouhowthisis？
　　ShallIputagreattrustinyou？’
　　’Youshall，sir，’saidPancks，’ifyoubelievemeworthyofit。’
　　’Ido。’
　　’Youmay!’MrPancks’sshortandsharprejoinder，confirmedbythesuddenoutstretchingofhiscoalyhand，wasmostexpressiveandconvincing。Arthurshookthehandwarmly。
　　Hethen，softeningthenatureofhisoldapprehensionsasmuchaswaspossibleconsistentlywiththeirbeingmadeintelligibleandneveralludingtohismotherbyname，butspeakingvaguelyofarelationofhis，confidedtoMrPancksabroadoutlineofthemisgivingsheentertained，andoftheinterviewhehadwitnessed。
　　MrPanckslistenedwithsuchinterestthat，regardlessofthecharmsoftheEasternpipe，heputitinthegrateamongthefire-
　　irons，andoccupiedhishandsduringthewholerecitalinsoerectingtheloopsandhooksofhairalloverhishead，thathelooked，whenitcametoaconclusion，likeajourneymanHamletinconversationwithhisfather’sspirit。
　　’Bringsmeback，sir，’washisexclamationthen，withastartlingtouchonClennam’sknee，’bringsmeback，sir，totheInvestments!
　　Idon’tsayanythingofyourmakingyourselfpoortorepairawrongyounevercommitted。That’syou。Amanmustbehimself。ButI
　　saythis，fearingyoumaywantmoneytosaveyourownbloodfromexposureanddisgrace——makeasmuchasyoucan!’
　　Arthurshookhishead，butlookedathimthoughtfullytoo。